Rocco’s Pizza & Pasta

For all I know, Rocco the individual – if there ever was one – was/​is a wonderful human being. That said, «Rocco’s» the venue HAD to die, and I, for one, am glad it did!
Okay. Alright. I’ll admit it… It’s always a shame to see people put out of work. Be that as it may, the snark was not unwarranted. At the end of the day, Rocco’s was peddling five dollar slices of what were, in terms of substance, flavor and options, DiGiorno-​grade pizzas! THAT, in the heart of downtown (just ~13 blocks from Pizza Oasis and, what, ~20 blocks from Escape from New York Pizza)!
It was almost criminal. The culinary equivalent of blasphemy…

Since the 90’s I’ve been coming down to Portland from Seattle — I’m usually hungry by the time I get there and my first stop is traditionally Rocco’s before heading over to Shut Up and Dance on Friday Nights.
To me, Rocco’s is very Portland. Here in Seattle most pizza shops are restaurants where Rocco’s sells pizza by the slice! What I love the most is the atmosphere. A few pinball machines, a checkerboard floor, PBR, and a sort of punk rock crowd that hangs out there.
I’m not a food critic by no means so all I can say the pizza is that I love it although it’s a little heavy on the sauce and quite filling but that’s usually a good thing.
I was in Portland last weekend… I came to Rocco’s but sadly it was closed :(Not sure if it’s closed for good but it looked like it. What I like about Portland is that businesses like this usually stick around for a while and Rocco’s has been around for almost 20 years! Hate to see it go. A lot of my favorite places in Seattle are long gone. Portland reminds me of the way Seattle used to be… and I quite like it this way.

Every time I visit Rocco’s pizza I immediately regret it. It is not cheap (a plain slice is 4 dollars) and although it is large it is mostly inedible matter. The crust is like a stale cracker, the cheese is plastic, and the sauce is bland. Usually places that serve slices will re-​heat your slice in the oven before giving it to you (unless the whole pie just came out of the oven), however not Rocco’s…your slice will just be handed to you in all its congealed who the hell knows how long it has been sitting there glory.
Hopefully now that I have finally written a review I can stop actually going even though their location may be the best in the city for a quick pizza slice.

When I walked into Rocco’s, I noticed how thick the bread was, but decided to try it anyway. It tasted like what I expected. It’s got a thick bread-​like crust. It’s crustier on the outside and softer inside. Almost like eating pizza on a giant soft pretzel. I tend to like NYC style pizza, so this didn’t float my boat much. Seems like I remember the sauce had what tasted like a lot of black pepper in it.
It did have a lot of cheese, so this probably tastes great when your drunk, but I’d go elsewhere if you are looking for a really good slice of pizza. I do have to say the staff was very nice, and the place had that run down dive feel that was common to pizza places in NYC.
To sum it up, I’d rate this pizza at about the level of a good frozen pizza.

I can’t remember the name of the vegan pizza; it starts with an «H». IT IS AMAZING. The slice is piled HIGH with all sorts of veggies. The crust is among the best I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to get back there and order a whole vegan pie to take home!
The man behind the counter told me upfront it would be 8 or 9 minutes while they created a fresh half-​pie, and that’s exactly about how long we waited. When we told him our parking meter was about to expire, he kindly wrapped the slice to-​go in tin foil.
The seating is spartan but right on 10^th and Burnside so the people watching is fantastic. Newspapers available to read.

Not very good pizza but at only $ 4 for a gigantic slice and a soda open late its okay. The slice was just too doughy and cheesy. Why does downtown Portland shut down so early?

Love the pizza here. Perfect location to refuel after getting lost in Powell’s.
Bathroom isn’t super accessible, but I’ve made it work for me.

This place gets a strong 2.5. This is a place that my boss loves to «treat» us to on occasion. This is a pizza joint I wish he wouldn’t be so hung up on. Considering the other options that are somewhat abundant in the area.
It’s not that I don’t like their pizza, per say. I guess it’s more a matter of execution. I have always thought that the crust here has decent flavor, but it’s way to thick. It is often undercooked under the toppings, and several times has bordered on deep dish thickness. The sauce is actually the best part of their ‘za. If only they didn’t put a gallon of it on every pie. The cheese is probably the most sensible portioning they do, but it is greasy. As far as toppings, I wouldn’t complain about freshness or flavors, but these items are rather sparse.
As for everything else, it’s location is obviously great for people watching, the staff is friendly, and they certainly are a good value; the pizza barely fits in the box. That being said, I would certainly sacrifice the heft for a well put together product. I’m sure that there are people who love this style of pizza, but I find it inconsistent and way too heavy. This is probably the only pizza place I’ve not been able to eat more than two slices of pizza without feeling so full as to be bloated.

I eat this if I am starving and too lazy to cook something and too cheap to shop at Whole Foods deli. It’s not bad, but thick crust is just not really my thing. I wish there was a thin crust option and then I would be a happy jelly-​bean. I do like that they are not stingy with the cheese and the toppings and I do like the sauce. They are also generous with the portions.

I mean, you’re not exactly coming here for gourmet pizza, at least that’s what you tell yourself, as you’re trying to come to grips with the huge slice you’re staring down. It’s certainly not the best, you think to yourself as you chew your first bite, disregarding your salivary glands as they pop and squirt; you’ve had better, somewhere, you just can’t think of the name of the place or where it was or how long ago…
«I wouldn’t exactly want to take a date here or anything,» you reflect to the cute guy from class who just happened to pick the same spot to grab a bite during a lecture break. He shrugs, and says, «depends on if she’s got expensive tastes,» dashing your hopes just a little, but you distract yourself by tossing a few quarters into the arcade machine and playing a completely uninhibited and not at all ironic game of Galaga.
Later in the week, when you’re out with your friends, someone suggests Hot Lips, and you go along with it, but as you pay and sit down with your slice, you realize where you’d rather be.
You’d rather be at Rocco’s.

Prime real estate and a dingy exterior do not usually mix. But Rocco’s has coagulated itself into the Pearl periphery like so much cooled down pizza cheese. It might not be great to look at, but you are so glad it is exactly what it is.
Many a time I’ve popped in to get a slice or a Cheap Eats deal only to find myself forsaking a salad and soda for a small pitcher of PBR turned giant mug. Personal pitcher meet personal pan pizza. They don’t have outlandish, adventurous gourmet pizza here (although they do have vegan offerings), but what they do have is enormous and just what you need. While not the best product, the atmosphere, convenience and price point are all A-​OK. Plus, the inside dining area has a three-​sided view of all the goings on of the Powell’s crowd and gutter punks trying to trick them out of their book money.

Thick crust and a delicious melody of veggies make for a great slice of pizza.
Pray you are not the lucky one stuck with the OLD slice though; nothing is worse than watching a fresh pizza being prepared while choking down the sad-​looking shriveled veggies on your slice.
Vegan pizza runs around $ 4/​slice with alternating toppings throughout the year.
If you’re in the mood for a whole pizza, rates start at $ 17.50 for 15″ and $ 24 for 19″

Rocco’s is not great pizza, not even good pizza. But I like it anyway.
Sometimes a warm gooey slice of greasy whateverness is exactly what I want. And on a night where I had just finished tasting over 50 different wines, this was indeed the case.
Cheap, straight forward, a little punk, a little rock n roll. Nothing frilly in the slightest.
A perfect experience prior to a long sobering stroll across the Burnside Bridge.
2 stars for the pizza and a bonus star for the rocking lady who served it.

Went with a friend. Wouldn’t dare eat anything from there.
Smelled like the inside of the streetcar on a hot, gross, day.
Not gross enough to be cool either. Just keep walkin.

I stopped here last Friday for an early afternoon snack after wandering around Powell’s City of Books and the Pearl District. Although the place looked a little worn and basic, the place was relatively clean and the guy at the counter was efficient, friendly and entertaining. I left the counter with a smile on my face.
I sat down with a slice of «swine and pine» (Canadian bacon and pineapple) and a Moose Drool (brown) beer. It was a tasty combination and the price was right. This place is what it is. And for what I was looking for (a quick bite and a beer), Rocco’s delivered.

We came here after Powell’s.
We were really hungry.
Rocco’s was close.
We sat down at a slightly greasy table.
Pizza came fast.
Too much cheese.
Dough could have been cooked more.
We’ve had better pizza before, but it did hit the spot.
Keep in mind that we were really hungry.
an extra star for the pizza guy introducing us to the band Telephone.

PBR in a plastic cup…$ 1.25
Huge ass slice of pizza… $ 3 and change.
Books for Prizoners (no martial arts please, ha) drop off box… cool.
Staring off into the kaleidoscope of insanity & shedding a tear… priceless.

To be fair, the menu for Rocco’s Pizza says «Biggest Slices, Best Prices.» Nowhere in there does it mention anything about taste, freshness, or warmth. So it’s not like we were misled, really, but still… this place gets a big old «meh» from me.
The last time my friend and I went to Powell’s, we were tempted by the delicious smell of fresh, hot pizza wafting through the air outside. That time, we had a dinner to go to, so we couldn’t stop for a slice, but vowed to come back someday. One year later, we returned to fulfill our vow, only to find it wasn’t really worth our effort.
Much is made of the «cheap eats» deal, which is a slice of cheese pizza and a soda for around $ 4. We wanted at least some toppings on our pizza, so I got pepperoni and my friend got the cutely named «Pine ‘n’ Swine,» aka Hawaiian (ham and pineapple, get it? I had to have it explained to me). The slices are indeed HUGE (it looked to us like they were cut from the 19″ pie they sell) and droop over the edges of the paper plates they come on, but ours had obviously been sitting in the warmer for some time. They were lukewarm at best, the cheese was congealed and kind of gross, and overall it just wasn’t a thrilling experience. I didn’t even come close to finishing mine.
My friend got an add-​on salad for like $ 1 extra, and he said it was a pretty decent salad. I think he ate more of that than the actual pizza. If I’m remembering correctly, PBR was $ 1/​glass or $ 4/​pitcher, so maybe with enough cheap beer, the pizza would taste better.
The place is pretty sassy inside — it’s in an odd triangular-​shaped building, so you can sit in the pointy part and look out on the street, or look at the colorful murals and T-​shirts for sale and contemplate your Powell’s game plan. Maybe the pizza’s better if you custom-​order something so it’s semi-​fresh, but the takeout stuff isn’t really worth bothering with, even as cheap as it is.

At work yesterday, boss says where are we going to lunch? We don’t know, so he asks what that place on Burnside is like. Okay slices, huge, place is kind of a dump.
So we go.
We get inside, he sees the prices and says «Aw, it’s cheap, I’m ordering two slices.» Me and #2 chuckle and I step in front of boss in line. «I’ll order first, you’ll see.»
Slice of pepperoni comes down.
«Ohhhh, okay.»
The pizza is what every one else says. The crust is kinda bland and thicker than you’d expect, but the slices are massive, at least twice the size of a Schmizza slice. The sauce is above average, tho.
I had a salad and it was actually really really good. The garden salad was a blend of roughage with some carrot, cuke & tomato. Very fresh and a good quantity. They use Newman’s Own dressing, which is always a good idea.
And they have separate food/​paper and plastic trash, b/​c apparently they compost. I was surprised, too.

Punks, ravers, metal heads, goths, hipsters, hipsters with children, yuppies, hippies, yippies, high schoolers, undergrads, post-​grads, professional students, professors, nerds, geeks, freaks, meth heads, crackheads, dudes with Lee press on nails, backpacking anarchists, Powell’s employees, Powell’s customers, Powell’s tourists, the occasional businessman, carnivores, vegetarians, doggies, monkeys, Nyquil junkies… it don’t matter what group you identify with, all pizza loving cheapos are welcome at Rocco’s.
And while the pizza isn’t my favorite — New York style pizza shouldn’t be that thick or crispy — I still love Rocco’s. It’s a little slice (pardon the pun) of Northwest life. It represents everything that my new Southern California home isn’t. I feel comfortable there, even if the seating is duct taped together.
And who can argue with a pizza named the Texas Barnyard Massacre?